Happy Fall 2006!
It seems as if we just finished our spring recital, and the trees’ leaves are thinking about changing color. It has been a summer of growth for all of you, and I’m very excited about how that will carry over into the coming year. I think we’re going to have a great time.
This newsletter will include dates for our classes, rehearsals and concerts. We are also adding a change to the Thursday night etude class format which will affect all students.

Once a month we will switch from Thursday to Monday evening to play through your latest piece with piano. Ms. Claudia Chen, our pianist and mother of Katia, has graciously agreed to play for us. This Monday class will include all students, even the youngest ones. It is important for the younger ones to hear the older ones, and for them in turn to be examples for the younger ones. For all of the kids, it is crucial to play with piano before their peers and in public. Before a student plays on a Monday evening, you’ll need to arrange a rehearsal at Ms. Chen’s house without me. This will not be true for those Book 3 and lower, who can rehearse briefly either on a Saturday morning here for an occasional young class, or on Monday evening here prior to class. Ms. Chen prefers to be contacted via email.

I will be out of town from Nov. 19 to 25 (Thanksgiving week), so for those of you with Thursday and Friday lessons, please reschedule with me so I can see you the week of the Thursday dress rehearsal.
I will also be out of town from Dec. 6 to 11.

All students in the Thursday etude class are strongly urged to participate in the MNSOTA State Solo Competition preliminaries. The application is due on Oct. 6, competition date is Nov. 12, with the winners’ recital on Nov. 19. Please see attached. Ms. Chen will not be attending the competitions with students, so you will need to arrange a rehearsal with Charles Kemper (651-762-9311) or Susan Garrelts (612-822-3805) alone first without me, then another lesson with them and me together here. This should happen the week before the competition week, and the solos can also be performed for the Monday class on 11/6 with Ms. Chen.

I’ll repeat myself for the benefit of our new families: We look at competitions only as opportunities to perform in formal settings. We see them as peripheral, not central, to the learning process. This means that I need your help in striking the right balance with the kids between competitions and the far more important day to day studio work we do.

I will take responsibility for paying our pianist for classes, class rehearsals, and concerts. Any other separate work with piano is your responsibility, including lessons you take here with me with piano. Please come prepared to make payment at the time of rehearsal. We need happy pianists always!!

I am really looking forward to an exciting year. I’ve heard some wonderful summer work, and I know I’ll be watching more.